The present invention relates to multiple contact connectors. More particularly, the invention pertains to multiple contact connectors for the termination of flexible flat conductor cable, ribbon cable, flexible etched circuitry, and the like.
Conventionally, the term "flexible flat conductor cable" is used to designate a cable having a plurality of relatively thin, flat, ribbon-like conductors embedded in an insulative polyester medium wherein the conductors lie in a generally mutually parallel and coplanar posture. The term "ribbon cable" commonly denotes a plurality of generally round wires embedded in an insulation medium wherein the axes of the wires are coplanar. In the description and claims which follow, "flat conductor cable" is used as a term which is intended to generically denote both of the above-noted types of cable as well as flexible etched circuitry and the like.
Flat conductor cable is currently being utilized in wiring applications to an increasing extent as a result of its compactness and advantageous electrical characteristics. For example, it has been found that this type of cable may facilely be installed and removed under relatively crowded conditions which would render other conventional wiring arrangements costly, burdensome and subject to errors. More particularly, flat conductor cable finds utility, when terminated with a plurality of contacts, by being plugged onto a printed circuit board or similar type structure having a plurality of closely spaced receiving pins. In another version, such conductor cable may be mounted on the edge of a printed circuit module card to provide the card with a single or double row of female contacts such that the card in turn may be plugged onto a larger printed circuit motherboard.
While a substantial commercial need exists in the industry for connecting flat conductor cable to printed circuit boards and the like, the commercial utility of such cable has been hampered by the lack of a particularly suitable terminating apparatus.
An assembly which is operable to terminate flat conductor cable presents at least tow significant problems. One difficulty is occasioned in connecting terminating assembly contacts to the flat conductor cable. A second difficulty is occasioned in dealing with the free ends of individual contact units intended to be operably mated to compatible contact means.
The first segment of the two-prong difficulty is advantageously alleviated by application of methods and apparatus in accordance with the disclosure set forth in the foregoing related applications.
The latter part of the above-noted two-fold difficulty is the primary subject matter of the present invention. In this connection it would be highly desirable to provide an individual box contact and a terminating apparatus of the type wherein an insulation housing is provided to secure in an accurately spaced array a plurality of closely spaced contacts and insulate the contacts from each other.
In effecting the foregoing, flat conductor cable termination housings have been designed as generally rectangular structures including an array of numbered apertures. A corresponding numbered conductor of the flat conductor cable must be inserted within the proper aperture in order to ensure function of the assembly in accordance with design expectations. It has been found, however, that it is difficult to accurately detect during assembly if the flat conductor cable is being installed within an insulation housing with 180.degree. reverse polarity. Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to ensure proper polarity installation of a flat conductor cable within an insulation housing.
Additionally, it would be advantageous to ensure longitudinal retention and concomitant relatively immobile longitudinal containment of individual box contact members within an insulation housing. In a similar vein, it would be desirable to provide a termination assembly wherein individual contact units may be readily disassembled from an associated insulation housing structure without bending or destroying the individual contact units.
It would further be desirable to provide a termination assembly wherein flexible flat conductor cables secured to box contacts in a manner described in the above-identified Baker et al and Munshower disclosures would experience a heightened degree of electrical contact and structural integrity between the individual conductors and box contacts.